How often should I clean my makeup brushes?
There are a lot of different opinions out there on this subject. The correct answer, of course, is WHENEVER THEY ARE DIRTY! While that is completely impractical when using traditional methods — all of which require brushes to be cleaned individually — it’s actually quite easy with My Brush Betty! With our cleaning kit, you can finally clean a whole handful of brushes, from start to finish, in less than five minutes. At a minimum, My Brush Betty recommends cleaning makeup brushes ONCE A WEEK, which is what many dermatologists recommend. Still, there are others who say bi-weekly or monthly. Honestly, it depends on how dirty your brushes get, which depends on the type of makeup products you use, as well as your skin type. But no matter how often you choose to clean your brushes, it’s important to make sure you clean them thoroughly to make sure you remove or kill all of the bacteria that may have grown on them. Because, yes, that happens.
Can I shake-clean any kind of makeup brush in My Brush Betty?
Almost. You can use My Brush Betty to shake-clean any traditional long- or short-handle brush made with natural hair or synthetic fiber. However, there are a few styles of niche makeup brushes that we do not recommend shake-cleaning. For example, we do not recommend that you shake-clean brushes with a collapsible or retractable brush hair feature, as water may become trapped between the movable parts.You can still clean those brushes with My Brush Betty, by removing the twist-off bottom and using the cleaning disk to wash the brush under a running faucet. IMPORTANT: Please review the Dos and Don’ts of shake-cleaning before you use your kit.
Won’t submerging my brushes in water rust the metal part (called the ferrule)?
No! Virtually all metal ferrules today are made of aluminum, brass or nickel. Those are non-ferrous materials, which means they do not contain iron and CANNOT rust. For example, M-A-C and Bobbi Brown report that their brushes are nickel-plated brass. Bare Escentuals, Dermablend and EcoTools say they use aluminum ferrules. Non-metal ferrules, such as those made out of plastics, are also safe to clean in My Brush Betty. 
Won’t the water damage the glue that holds the brush together?
No! Makeup brush manufacturers commonly assemble makeup brushes using non-water-soluble glue, usually epoxy. That means the glue is water resistant. Because My Brush Betty cleans brushes so fast — one minute for shake-cleaning and one minute for rinsing — your brushes will not be exposed to water long enough to soften the glue. The best thing you can do to protect the integrity of the glue in your brushes is to keep them out of extreme heat and extreme cold. Glue can get gooey when hot or contract when cold, both of which can damage the integrity of the bond. 
How does My Brush Betty work so fast?
When the soapy water is shaken in the container, it agitates in the same up-and-down direction of the brush hair. This turbulence creates little air bubbles and a process called cavitation that is very powerful at cleaning. Every time one of those bubbles pops — which happens when you reverse direction during the shaking process — it sends a little shock wave of energy through the water that helps to loosen tiny particles. In My Brush Betty, this vibration helps to remove the dirt and other debris trapped inside the tiny crevices of the hair’s cuticle or textured surface structure.
Why is the cleaning disc in the bottom of My Brush Betty so important?
If you were to try and shake your brushes clean in a bottle or container without the cleaning disk, your makeup brushes would repeatedly hit the bottom of the container and the hair would spread apart — or splay. Over time, this repeated smashing into the bottom of the container would damage your brushes and cause the hair to lose its shape. But with the cleaning disk, the nodules deaden splaying by reaching into the toe of the brush hair and, at the outer edges, acting as a barrier to splaying. That makes this form of cleaning very gentle.
What makeup brush cleaning soap should I use?
You may use hair shampoo, shampoo made specifically for brushes, hand soap or even dish soap. But we recommend My Brush Betty’s Brush Bubbles for removing the toughest makeup products — the kind of makeup that often must be removed with olive oil before you wash your brushes with soap and water. Brush Bubbles easily removes long-wearing foundations, sticky concealers, cream blushes, waxy lipsticks and gel liners from brushes. For brushes made with real animal hair, such as goat, which can be coarse, you may want to add a dash of conditioner during the first rinse cycle.
Why do you recommend warm water?
Hot water could damage your brush hairs and give them a crimped, frizzy appearance. Cold water will not emulsify any oils trapped in the hairs to allow them to be removed. Lukewarm water is the best way to get your brushes clean.
Do you recommend soaking makeup brushes before shaking?
No! No! NO! Soaking is not necessary and could actually damage your brushes. While the epoxy glue used in brushes is water resistant, it’s not 100% waterproof. We recommend shaking your brushes clean for just a minute or two and then drying them on the beautiful angled drying mat. 
How hard should I shake the bottle?
Shake it just like you would shake to mix a bottle of salad dressing. Use a gentle, rhythmic up and down motion. You honestly don’t have to shake it too hard. Remember: the cavitation is doing the work!
Won’t shake-cleaning my brushes cause or aggravate shedding?
The shake-cleaning process is actually quite gentle on your brushes. Unlike hand washing, where brush hairs are scrubbed, massaged, squeezed and pulled during lathering, the only turbulence a brush experiences in My Brush Betty is from water, which is naturally buffering, as it sloshes back and forth. Whether your brushes are made with real hair or synthetic fiber, they have the potential to shed as fibers break or pull out of their assembly.
What is the best way to reshape the hair of my makeup brushes after washing?
Synthetic brush fibers are made to hold their shape. So when you’re done washing a synthetic brush, simply reshape it with your fingers and put it on the angled mat to dry, hair-side down. But the majority of the brushes on the market today are still made with real animal hair, primarily goat. Real animal hair is a lot like human hair. So when it’s truly clean to the cuticle, it tends to be very full. You need to condition and style it to dry the way you want. My Brush Betty’s Reshaping Gel is the perfect product to restyle your brush hair into the shape you want. Just use a dab to reshape the brush hair and then put the brush on the mat to dry, hair-side down. When the brush is dry, the hair will be firm, just like when you use gel in your hair. Simply massage the brush hair in your hand to release the gel’s hold and — voilà — you have fantastically fresh and clean makeup brushes.
Is the My Brush Betty Cleaning Kit machine washable?
No! Dishwashers get very, very hot inside and that could warp the container, lid, bottom, cleaning disk or mat. So when you notice that you need to clean your kit, hand wash it with a dish soap and a soft cloth to keep it looking new. To avoid water spots, dry it with a soft towel immediately after cleaning. 
Do you offer a product guarantee with the My Brush Betty Cleaning Kit?
Yes! We want you to be fully satisfied — and we believe you absolutely will be! Check out our guarantee at http://www.mybrushbetty.com/productguarantee.
Can I clean artist brushes in My Brush Betty?
Why, yes – yes, you can! However, we only recommend that you clean artist brushes used with water-soluble paints. So *NO* oil-based enamels, lacquers or the like. If you have any questions that are not answered here, feel free to ask them in the comment section below or email sarah@mybrushbetty.com for more information. Happy Shaking! — My Brush Betty